Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for improving aerodynamic characteristics of a vehicle, and, more particularly, to an apparatus for improving aerodynamic characteristics of a vehicle, in which an active air flap and an active air skirt are simultaneously operated based on a vehicle speed.
Description of the Related Art
Air resistance is applied to a vehicle due to a collision between a vehicle body and air in the atmosphere when the vehicle travels. In particular, the air resistance is mainly classified into drag and lift. The drag refers to a resistance force applied to the vehicle body, which directly collides with air when the vehicle travels, in a direction opposite to the traveling thereof. The lift refers to a phenomenon in which the vehicle body is lifted by a difference in pressure between the upper and lower portion of the vehicle body generated when the vehicle travels.
Accordingly, the vehicle requires elements for improving aerodynamic characteristics and fuel efficiency by reducing drag and lift. Devices for improving aerodynamic characteristics include, for example, an active air flap and an active air skirt actively operated based on a vehicle speed.
The active air flap is a device that opens and closes an aperture in a radiator grill formed at a front bumper based on a vehicle speed. When the vehicle travels at low speed, the active air flap forms a large opening angle of the radiator grill and thus, a significant amount of air is introduced into an engine room, thereby ensuring safety of heat exchanger components in the engine room. When the vehicle travels at high speed, the active air flap forms a minimal opening angle of the radiator grill and thus, a smaller amount of air is introduced into the engine room, thereby improving aerodynamic characteristics and fuel efficiency.
When the vehicle travels at high speed, the active air skirt (e.g. a front spoiler, a nose spoiler, and an air dam) reduces an amount of air introduced into an underbody through the front bumper, thereby decreasing lift and thus improving aerodynamic characteristics. However, the active air flap and the active air skirt each have a separate driving source and are individually operated, even though the mounting positions thereof are adjacent to each other in the front portion of the vehicle. Accordingly, there are problems in that the number of parts of the vehicle is increased, the vehicle cost increases, the weight of the vehicle increases, and fuel efficiency decreases.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present invention, and is not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.